Alexa Posliff has always been interested in employment law. A lawyer, who opened her own firm with two partners in 2021, she decided that one of the things she would like to be able help her clients with was resolving workplace harassment complaints through an effective response including complaint management and investigation. 

Geared towards lawyers, human resource professionals and business owners, the School of Continuing Studies Specialized Certificate in Managing, Investigating and Resolving Workplace Harassment Complaints gave her the ability to do just that. 

“One of the areas that I practice in is labour and employment law,” Alexa explains. “Through speaking with my clients and other lawyers, I have learned harassment complaints are often handled internally without much guidance as to best practices in the industry (or even without consideration that there is an industry focused on workplace investigations). I am now able to guide my clients through an investigation process and help them come up with creative solutions when there is a conflict at their place of business.”

Having been in the workforce for several years, this was Alexa’s first time returning to the classroom as an adult and she was glad to find that her course instructors were very understanding of the fact that she and her classmates were balancing school with full-time work and full schedules. 

“For me, the most challenging part of taking this course was time management. As I was starting my own firm at the same time, I felt sometimes I was pulled in a lot of different directions. The instructors were very understanding about that and were supportive when I advised them what I was doing in my professional career,” she says. 

“It was also clear that everyone in the class actually wanted to be there because we all were interested in the subject matter.”

Alexa says that the safe learning environment fostered by the instructors was key to tackling sensitive subjects in class. 

“I felt my instructors were completely free of judgment. Some of the topics we discussed in class were personal and, at times, sensitive; knowing that my instructors were not going to judge us for how a situation was handled or how we would react in hypothetical situations made class a fun and safe learning environment,” she explains. 

This was a vital aspect of the courses as it allowed Alexa to learn about the experiences of her classmates across different industries. “The dialogue in class was productive and thought-provoking.” She says. “My peers had a lot of unique professional experiences, and learning about how things are done in their own industries was incredibly interesting.”

Alexa says one of her most valuable takeaways from the Specialized Certificate in Managing, Investigating and Resolving Workplace Harassment Complaints was that being creative and listening to all parties involved in a conflict is key to  coming up with an effective solution, and adds: 

“My advice for students taking this course would be to keep an open mind and stay curious. Asking questions and actively participating in course discussions made my experience a happy and fruitful one. I felt like I got a lot out of the course because I was genuinely open to all ideas presented, even though they might not be consistent with my own professional experiences.” 
 

Each year, the Penguin Random House Canada Student Award for Fiction is awarded to an SCS creative writing learner whose work and commitment to creative expression inspires us. This year’s u place prize has been awarded to Alexis Patoine. Two honourable prizes have been awarded to Sheila Burpee Duncan and Alison Stevenson. These three writers have taken a chance and embraced their creative potential; we are honoured to celebrate their innovative work. 

 
WINNER ($2,500 PRIZE):

Alexis Patoine, A Pile of Bones

Alexis Patoine moved to Ontario from Regina, Saskatchewan to study animation. She currently works in the animation industry as a 3D modeller and will be going back to school through the University of Toronto in the Fall. Her fascination with people, culture, and the natural world greatly inspire her art and writing.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS ($1,000 PRIZE EACH):

Sheila Burpee Duncan, Arbour Marie

Sheila Burpee Duncan has written many short stories, a novel, a memoir and several screenplays. One of her humour pieces was published in Reader’s Digest. Through a twenty-plus year career in external communications, Sheila wrote press releases and technical articles for trade publications and major technology companies, and enjoyed a three-year stint in Stockholm. Now, she’s back living in Ottawa with her husband and their 145-pound dog. Find her on Twitter @SheilaBDuncan.

Alison Stevenson, A Mouthful of Sunshine

Alison Stevenson is a Toronto lawyer. Her short stories have appeared in Prairie Fire, The New Quarterly, PRISM international, and This Will Only Take a Minute: 100 Canadian Flashes (Guernica Editions). She was a finalist in the Alice Munro Festival of the Short Story Contest and longlisted for the CBC and TNQ/Peter Hinchcliffe prizes. She is working on a story collection. alisonstevensonwriter.com 
 

As demand for Extended Reality (XR) development skills continues to grow, the School of Continuing Studies is working in collaboration with Circuit Stream to continue to offer cutting edge XR development education to our learners. 

This fall welcomes the latest addition to our suite of XR development offerings: Unity Developer Bootcamp. 

This intensive 24-week, live, online Bootcamp goes beyond the fundamentals to prepare you for a successful career in virtual reality development, augmented reality development, and 3D development.

“We are very pleased to continue our successful collaboration with Circuit Stream to allow learners to expand their repertoire of skills as they grow their careers in the rapidly-expanding XR field,” says University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies Dean, Dr. Catherine Chandler-Crichlow. “I can’t wait to see them take the knowledge they gain with us and use it to bring new, exciting XR concepts to life.”

Unity Developer Bootcamp begins on October 11, 2022. Enrolment is open from now until September 30. 

Whereas the other courses we offer in collaboration with Circuit Stream are beginner-friendly, this Bootcamp is geared toward people with some prior experience of Unity. 

There is a four-step application process for the Bootcamp, which begins with a qualifying exam. We will test applicants on their current knowledge of Unity before determining whether they are ready to progress to the next step. 

Find out more about The Unity Developer Bootcamp on our website, and come to our free, online launch event Sept. 8 to get your questions answered as we get set to take XR education to the next level.

Created by award-winning poet Janice Colbert in 2012, the Janice Colbert Poetry Award honours SCS learners who have created a piece of poetry that moves us. Janice, who is an SCS Creative Writing Certificate earner, helps us celebrate the journey towards creative discovery through her generous award. This annual honour is valued at $1,000, plus two finalist awards of $500 each.

1ST PLACE/$1,000 AWARD WINNER: Bradley Alvarez

Bradley Alvarez is a communications professional, poet, and writer living in Richmond, British Columbia. He holds a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from Simon Fraser University (SFU) as well as a post-baccalaureate diploma in Communications (SFU). He loves long road trips, trudging up mountains, and spending time with his family.

FINALISTS/$500 AWARD WINNERS: Janet Lamb & Jessica Lapp

Janet Lamb was born in England, but has called three continents home. Themes of isolation and loss are prevalent in much of her work. Her poem, The Last Act, appeared in spring 2021, a Saskatchewan Writer’s Guild publication. She took her first creative writing course with the University of Toronto in 2020 and is still discovering her voice.

Jessica Lapp is an archival scholar who has recently returned to poetry after several years spent focusing on academic writing. She is interested in poetry as memory-work; as a way of evidencing and feeling the past. Jessica lives in Toronto and is pursuing a Creative Writing Certificate through SCS. 

The Janice Colbert Poetry Award jury was comprised of three poets:

Jason Heroux, Kingston poet
Lillian Necakov, Toronto poet
Gillian Sze, Montreal poet
 

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the level of uncertainty, complexity, and change in our workplaces. Teams have faced numerous new challenges, from reduced team building and knowledge transfer due to prolonged work from home, to increased burnout rates due to physical and emotional depletion. The first report by Mental Health Research Canada on Psychological Health and Safety in Canadian Workplaces indicated that one-third of Canadians are feeling burned out at work. In the new work environment, psychological safety is becoming increasingly important. Making the environment safe for open communication about ideas, concerns, and challenges is becoming a key leadership skill.

In her book Fearless Organization, Amy Edmondson defined psychological safety as ‘a belief that one will not be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes, and that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking'. Improving psychological safety can be the key to creating a work environment of the future, and promoting new ideas and sustainable solutions to current challenges. 

Psychological safety can foster team innovation in five important ways: by improving authenticity, boosting creativity, promoting learning, encouraging interpersonal risk-taking, and increasing collaboration.

1. Improving authenticity

Being authentic means being true to oneself and acting according to our own values, personality, and spirit. Every individual is unique and has a specific set of traits, strengths, and talents that make us distinct from others. Creating an environment that is psychologically safe is important in uncertain times because it enables us to contribute in unique ways and challenge the status quo to create new solutions. This implies a degree of autonomy – the right for self-government and to be guided from the inside. When we can connect to our deeply held values as individuals, we are also more able to act according to the basic values that we all share as human beings, such as tolerance, appreciation, respect for others, and generally holding life meaningful and valuable. This can help reduce judgement and inspire team building and true collaboration.

2. Boosting creativity

According to the RBC report Humans Wanted: How Canadian Youth Can Thrive in the Age of Disruption, creativity is among the foundational human skills essential for the future of work. Science of creativity shows that creative individuals don’t necessarily have a specific set of skills, but have a high degree of adaptability and are able to apply whatever skills they have in different ways. Creative individuals also have fluid attention and a high degree of openness to experience, a trait that is crucial for dealing with uncertainty and adjusting to changing circumstances. An environment that is psychologically safe is open to new ideas, which boosts team creativity and helps long-term innovation and growth. 

3. Promoting learning

In the past, it was commonly believed that ‘effective performers do not fail’. Research on psychological safety, however, shows that effective performers produce, learn from, and share lessons from mistakes. The ability to re-frame failure as a natural by-product of experimentation can contribute to promoting fast learning and innovation in psychologically safe environments.

4. Encouraging inter-personal risk-taking

A moderate level of interpersonal risk-taking is necessary for high-performing teams, as it allows us to confront differences with others in ways that lead to learning and change. Unwillingness to take interpersonal risks can destroy value in an organization. Being able to speak up, give and receive feedback, ask a co-worker to clarify a particular point, or raise a different point of view in a meeting can all lead to improved innovation and better solutions.

5. Increasing collaboration

The key to psychological safety is to approach conflict as a collaborator, not an adversary. Engaging in exploration and brainstorming, not making assumptions about what other people think, and asking for feedback to illuminate blind spots can all be beneficial for innovation. Speaking human-to-human and working to achieve mutually desirable outcomes can positively affect the entire organization, as well as the success of its clients and their customers. 
The topic of psychological safety is becoming increasingly important in today’s changing work environment. Creating a place where people feel safe to be themselves and work creatively together without fear of being punished can have exponential effect on collaboration, learning, and innovation. It just may be the key to creating a better world.

Milena holds a PhD in Integral Health from the California Institute for Human Science. Milena’s work explores prevention-oriented methodologies for mental health, sustainability, and well-being. She teaches her experiential mental resilience and psychological safety programs at University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies and provides seminars to organizations and educational institutions. Milena’s programs have helped individuals build resilient minds and have contributed to the reduction of common mental disorders and stigma. For more information, visit www.nondualperspectives.com.

Her upcoming course, Psychological Safety, starts this Fall.
 

Creating a customer experience that drives loyalty and retention can be tough at the best of times. Given today’s business challenges, organizations are struggling to meet their customer’s expectations.

In fact, fewer than 35% of customers are satisfied with brands according to the 2022 Brand Relationship Design report from R/GA. 

It doesn’t have to be this way. Here are some key customer experience management strategies to consider. 

1. Know Your Customers

This is the most important piece of advice that I can give. It can be tempting to rely on anecdotal information from within your organization about your customers. This creates a false picture of your customers, and worse yet, may be used as a basis to build business strategies on.

The best way to know your customers is to listen to them. This can be done through surveys, feedback forms, comments on social platforms, ratings, and call centre logs. It’s also important to supplement this by talking directly to your customers to expand your understanding.

With this research you can start to build a true picture of your customers. It will help you to understand what you’re doing well and where you could be better. Documents such as customer personas and customer journeys are a good way to document your findings and make them memorable to employees.

2. Fix The Easy Stuff First

What are your customers telling you is challenging in dealing with your organization? Start with this list, and then look to the items that can be fixed most easily to deliver positive impact to your customer experience and bottom line. 

Working across functional areas to make these improvements is a must. This collaboration ensures ownership of customer experience across the organization. More importantly, it makes sure that your customers have a consistent experience no matter what channel they interact with or where they are in the customer journey.

Communication is also key. Be sure to show and measure success quickly. This will demonstrate how customer experience management is driving business results and creates the foundation for more investment.

3. Excel At Employee Experience

An outstanding customer experience begins and ends with engaged employees who feel ownership for delivering a consistent and reliable customer experience every time. 

It’s imperative for organizations to make the effort to ensure employees understand the importance of their role in delivering customer experience. Doing the right thing for customers must also be rewarded through compensation, incentives, and recognition. Today more than ever, organizations need to invest in a people strategy that delivers an outstanding employee experience.

Customer experience has changed. 88% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products and services according to Salesforce’s State of the Customer Report. With customer realities forever transformed, delivering a positive customer experience is more critical than ever. 

Sandra Pacitti is a strategic digital and marketing leader with over 15 years of experience in delivering industry-leading customer experiences. She is currently Director, Digital Channels, Marketing Technology & Creative at PwC Canada where she leads digital transformation and the adoption of new marketing technologies. She holds the Certified Customer Experience Professional (CCXP) designation from CXPA. Sandra has overseen the creation and implementation of digital marketing roadmaps for major financial services firms in Canada. As team lead, she was responsible for the launch of the Mackenzie Investments website that was named the Top Canadian Website for Financial Advisors by kasina. She is well versed in all aspects of customer experience management, digital marketing and marketing technology strategy and implementation. In her past roles she has been responsible for creating and delivering training on digital marketing best practices, standards and policies.

Sandra teaches our Customer Experience Management (CXM) course, starting this fall.
 

The Penguin Random House Canada Student Award for Fiction is an endowed award that is open to all learners who have taken a creative writing course at SCS in the previous year. These writers have taken a spark of an idea and transformed it into a piece of writing they (and we) are proud of. Established in 2002, this award is valued at $2,500, plus two finalist awards of $1,000 each annually.

A big congrats to these finalists, who have unleashed their creative potential! Winners and Honourable Mentions will be announced soon! 

FINALISTS

Gemma Barrett, Checkbox
Sheila Burpee Duncan, Arbour Marie
Stephanie Grella, Avenue of Saints
James Harrison, Confabulations
Alexis Patoine, Pile of Bones
Michelle Reale, Maktoub (It is Written)
Miriam Richer, Babes in the Woods
Sharon Selby, Turkey Vultures
Alison Stevenson, A Mouthful of Sunshine
Heidi Tiedemann, The First Mrs. Robinson

In my time overseeing the English Language Program (ELP) at the University of Toronto, I have seen, again and again, how learning a new language with us can be life-changing. I love hearing where new English skills take our learners. Whether they go on to find career success, complete a degree, or simply connect with a new community, it’s thrilling to see them meet their goals. 
To achieve those goals though, you need to know where to start. Here are a few questions I suggest you consider when deciding on an English language program to enrol in. 

1. Where do you want to study? Our learners love practicing their English skills in a large and friendly multicultural city like Toronto. It’s great to see them use the city as a launchpad to explore the rest of Canada as well. 
2. What are your goals? Are you planning to study for academic purposes, for work, or to be able to communicate in a new country? At ELP, we offer a variety of courses for your different goals, as well as custom programming for organizations.  
3. What is your timeline and availability? Does it make sense for you to enrol in full or part-time studies?  Learning English can be so rewarding, but it does take time. It’s important to be realistic about how many weeks or months you’re able to commit to your studies, especially if you are studying abroad. We want to see all of our learners succeed! 
4. What kind of learner are you? Do you prefer to study in person in a traditional classroom, or do you enjoy the flexibility of an online course that allows you to study from anywhere? We know some people find it easy to connect with classmates and find their motivation to learn in an online classroom, while for others, it is important to see their classmates and instructors in person. 
5. Have you done your research? There are many organizations that offer English language programs. It’s important to compare programs you are considering. Is it a reputable school or organization? Do they use up-to-date technology and offer courses and support that will meet your needs? Do they have positive testimonials from their students? Do you know someone who has studied there? If so, reach out to them and ask about their experience and don’t hesitate to contact the school directly with any questions or concerns you might have.  Also, look into whether the curriculum is current and aligned with your language goals.

Lisa Morgan has been dedicated to teaching, leading, and directing at the School of Continuing Studies’ ELP for over 20 years. She is passionate about supporting the academic, professional, and personal goals of international learners. 
 

It’s human nature to desire a sense of control and agency over our lives. Right now, things feel tough because there’s a lot outside our personal control; the pandemic, the shifts in the workforce, rapidly changing technology…the list goes on! 

However, there are a few things in our control, that can have a massive effect on our career trajectory, and our personal evolution.  

The THREE Rs of Success 

In the midst of overwhelming change, here’s what we CAN control: 

REFLECT 

First, look inward.  

We can pause, and look inward to assess and re-affirm our core strengths, skills, and capabilities. 

Ask yourself; what am I really good at? 
What do I enjoy?  
What types of tasks or projects make time fly?  
What do colleagues tend to value about me, or compliment me on? 

Write these down. 

For example, are you a strong problem solver? Do you have stellar communication skills? Are you an analytical thinker? Do you learn new technologies quickly? Are you great at training people? 

Next, take a step back and look at your list of core strengths. How can you leverage those skills in new or emerging labour markets? Can you use these core skills in a different sector? Consider that your skills are not chained to your current or previous role; know that there are possibilities beyond your specific area of focus. 

As companies and industries begin to rebuild after the pandemic, there will be an uptick in new (perhaps unexpected) employment opportunities, some of which could be quite different from the pre-pandemic environment. As employers begin to innovate, different career options will emerge. By having a deep knowledge of our strengths and capabilities, we position ourselves to pivot and transition into new roles.  

Careers don’t “just happen”. By reflecting and growing self-knowledge of our capabilities, we give ourselves a powerful advantage that will allow us to navigate the current uncertainties with focus and confidence.  

RESKILLING 

Next, look outward. 

Next, look outward. What are emerging trends in the labour market? Those of us interested in pivoting to different jobs, careers, or sectors can explore educational opportunities to broaden our repertoire of skills in a short time. This is where access to micro-courses (which are short, targeted learning opportunities that focus on skills and competency development) can fast-track access to new opportunities.  

Reskilling helps us explore alternative careers, and broadens our access to the labour market. 

RESILIENCE

Now, look around.

So many of us have become isolated, and in order for us to thrive in this emerging economy, we need to re-connect and build resilience. Consider re-committing to pursuits that give you purpose and direction. Try new activities, challenge yourself, and support others in your community.  

We are here to help you reflect, reskill, and stay resilient as you journey forward. Check out The Three Rs of Success to learn more! 

At SCS, we support human potential one individual, one organization, one community at a time. The Three Rs of Success is an opportunity for you to learn more about who we are, what we offer, and our unique perspective on lifelong learning! 

This digital experience delves into the benefits (both to individuals and organizations) of building a culture of continuous education, and focuses on the three R’s of success: reflection, reskilling and resilience. It shares details about Blueprint, our new career services program, which is designed to help you thrive in our rapidly changing world. It explores our corporate and organizational training, English Language Program, Comparative Education Service, and micro-credential offerings, that are here to support you as you pursue your career and personal development goals. It also offers exciting information about our vast range of continuing education opportunities, from business and technological studies, to the arts, humanities, and creative writing. The Three Rs of Success also shares two stories about SCS learners whose lives have been changed by their commitment to lifelong learning. 

Our Dean, Dr. Catherine Chandler-Crichlow, is especially eager to share this digital space with our audiences. “I’m thrilled to be leading a shift in how we view and embrace lifelong learning. As the top university in Canada, U of T is the perfect place to incubate and grow innovative ideas around reskilling, upskilling, reflection, and personal resilience. At SCS, our approach to lifelong learning is unique. Here. we share that new vision,” she says. “I hope you’ll enjoy exploring information about the diverse services and opportunities we offer at SCS, and some food for thought about the future of work and your place in it!” 

We are here to help you navigate your continuing education journey, and hope you’ll enjoy learning more about SCS.

When Elizabeth Monier-Williams signed up for a School of Continuing Studies (SCS) creative writing class, she had no idea it would lead her to form a community of writers who would continue to support one another for years to come.

The course in question was an introductory science fiction and fantasy writing class. It was the first creative writing course that Elizabeth had participated in since high school. “I’d been writing creatively for 10 years at that point, and I wanted to take the next step in my journey,” she explains. 

The course taught Elizabeth how people who write professionally look at a story. “Knowing what stood out to someone like Nalo [the course instructor] was so helpful,” she says.

With in-class feedback sessions going well, it didn’t take long for Elizabeth and a handful of her dedicated classmates to start meeting outside of class as well. In fact, she continued to meet regularly with SCS classmates Diana, Hardy and T.J., for the next seven years, so they could provide each other with valuable feedback on their work. “We met once a month, or every few months. For longer work, one person would be the focus of the meeting and we would sometimes take a couple of months to read and prepare for the session,” Elizabeth shares. “If everyone was doing shorter works, we’d do more of a round-robin format. Using Nalo’s format—what worked, what didn’t work, and open questions—kept our feedback focused on the story craft, not the writer.” 

The course and the writing community she gained through SCS helped Elizabeth get to the point where she was ready to publish her first novel, Chaos Calling.  The book follows adult twins from Toronto who are busy with their careers, families and lives, until they realize that a bizarre experience they had with their best friend as teenagers was actually preparation for a global disaster.

The members of the writing group also formed a strong bond. “I grew tremendously through my collaborations with this group. My novel in progress at the time had slow pacing and the framing of historical elements weren’t working in a lot of places. I never finished it. I remember the big moment where I shared some fragments of the ending with the group and told them what I was building toward. T. J. looked surprised and said, ‘That’s it?’” she recalls. “I laugh now, but realizing that what I thought was so amazing wasn’t tracking for the people who knew my writing best was painful. It’s sobering when you realize you’re not doing so well as you thought, but feedback is required to grow and improve. I’m glad they were open enough to (kindly) share their thoughts.”

In addition to vital constructive criticism, Elizabeth says she found support and encouragement to continue developing her craft. T.J. in particular validated her abilities early on, and after his death she paid tribute to him by naming one of her Chaos Calling characters after him. “He was the first person to tell me that there was something special in my work and that it would be a terrible thing to give up on it. After he died, Diana and I continued to meet as I worked on my current project. Anna, one of the protagonists in Chaos Calling is a parent, and her older child Tim is named in his honour.”

Watching others workshop their writing as part of the group taught Elizabeth a lot about story, structure, characters, and pacing. She would recommend that anyone looking to improve their writing find a similar group to share their writing with. “You don’t know what you’ve got until you show your work to other people who write. If you’re serious about writing, there’s no way around that step,” she says. “Writers see narrative differently than people who only read, and they’re often able to get under the hood and show you what’s humming in a way that your friends and family cannot. Feedback is how we grow and every now and then we all need to hear hard truths.”

Elizabeth credits her time at SCS with being a crucial step in her writing journey. “Taking that course was a huge pivot in my writing life, and created friendships and writing collaborations that I benefit from to this day.”

Each year, the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies recognizes instructors who exemplify excellence in adult education. SCS Excellence in Teaching Award winners are nominated by learners who feel that their instructors have gone above and beyond to share their knowledge in a way that is particularly engaging, helpful and inspiring. 

“It is such a pleasure to hear from our learners how their instructors inspire and motivate them,” says SCS Dean Dr. Catherine Chandler-Crichlow. “We know that over the past couple of years, the wonderful people who teach our courses have had to stretch and adapt like never before to keep lifelong learning alive throughout the pandemic. They absolutely rose to the challenge, exhibiting their fierce dedication to education and their students. I am so grateful for all of our instructors, and very proud of this year’s winners!”

This year’s award winners, being recognized for teaching during the 2020-2021 academic year, are: 

Excellence in Teaching – Business and Professional Studies 
Georgina Cannon
Tim Fong
Jason Yarmolinsky

Excellence in Teaching – Arts & Science
Carolyn Harris

Excellence in Teaching – Creative Writing 
Martha Batiz

Excellence in Teaching – Languages and Translation
Nadine Atwi
Lorenzo Sclocco

Outstanding New Instructor
Frank Suarez-Milan

Excellence in Online Teaching
Soonae Bac

Career Impact
Nadine Atwi

For more information on the UofT SCS Excellence in Teaching Awards please visit our awards page.